ESPN – Former Carolina Panthers wide receiver Rae Carruth, who in 2001 was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder of his pregnant girlfriend, was released just after 8 a.m. ET on Monday from the Sampson Correctional Institution in Clinton, North Carolina.
I saw this just now and felt both chilled to the core and very, very old. Rae Carruth, former 1st Round pick of the Carolina Panthers, was arrested, and eventually imprisoned, for his crimes when I was ten. I remember it quite clearly. Why? Because it was my introduction to the fact that pro athletes, the superheroes I looked up to because they made a living playing the same games I did at recess, could be just as profoundly evil and shitty as the next guy. Oklahoma City had happened five years earlier and I remember thinking “makes sense this guy is a lunatic.” But an NFL player? A jubilant, touchdown celebrating, deer-fast adonis of a fan? It just wasn’t supposed to happen.
The details are gory and grim but important. For those who don’t know, Carruth’s career, in its third season in 1999, was not going so well. He had knocked up a hard working recent (two or three years?) college graduate named Cherica Adams and was terrified of running out of money if the end of his career was near. So he paid some friend to take her out. One car pulled up in front of her, making her stop, one pulled up alongside her and shot her, four times. She was eight months pregnant and died a month later. The kid, a son named Chancellor, somehow survived and is now 18 years old, having been raised by Adams’ mother. He has Cerebral Palsy among a list of other maladies from the trauma he experienced.
Now Rae Carruth, a little under 20 years later, is free, walking the streets. I’m sure he is on parole and has constraints and conditions but he’s free, and alive. It just doesn’t seem fair. I’m usually someone who believes everyone deserves a second chance but this just doesn’t seem right. If you think about it how would Carruth have to do, what kind of penance would he have to deliver in order for him to make up for this? He’s only 44, still a young man by most standards, but does he even have enough time to make up for this?
Three-straight wins have fans throughout Pats Nation flying high right now. Especially after beating the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday night, many might believe that this week’s opponent, the Chicago Bears, should be an absolute cake walk.
However, hubris can often taint reality, and the 3-2 Monsters of the Midway certainly ain’t no slouches. (And truthfully, they should be 4-1 after blowing an 11-point fourth-quarter lead on Sunday, ultimately losing in overtime to BROCK FREAKIN’ OSWEILER and the Miami Dolphins.)
As always, here’s a quick look at where, when, and how to watch the game along with the latest lines:
As I said, the Bears are no longer a pushover after four-straight years which saw them win no more than six games in a season – including a really rough 3-13 performance in 2016. In fact, many people, including myself, had them as one of the top sleeper teams for 2018.
Even before acquiring super human/mutant freak talent Khalil Mack from the Oakland Raiders just days before the season began, the Bears were already pretty solid on the defensive side of the ball. Though they finished with a 5-11 record last year, Chicago still had the league’s 10th-ranked defense and posted 42 sacks, which tied for seventh in the league. Adding Mack to the unit has vaulted them up to third in the league through five games in 2018 (they had a bye in Week 5), and their 18 sacks are good for fifth in the league. They’re also tied for second in the league in interceptions. So let’s just say Brady and the boys may not have as easy of a time moving the ball in the Windy City this weekend as they have the past couple of weeks.
Mack is one of those guy’s truly deserving of being called a “generational” talent. The man is an absolute freak of nature.
(Side note: Mack injured his ankle early on in Sunday’s loss to the Dolphins. He finished the contest but wasn’t quite as effective as the game wore on. Per the team’s website, he’s considered day-to-day and is expected to play, but perhaps he won’t be as much of a force as he typically is.)
The Bears are very talented on offense as well, and the entire unit has been opened up this year with first-year head coach Matt Nagy, an offensive whiz who helped Andy Reid run the show in Kansas City for the past two seasons. Not only has he helped fuel quarterback Mitchell Trubisky’s development tremendously, but his scheme allows for multiple guys to be involved each week, so it’s not like Belichick can simply hone in on taking away the opponent’s top weapon like he usually does.
Allen Robinson – just three year’s removed from a 1,400-yard season in Jacksonville – leads the way for the receiving corps. Speedster Taylor Gabriel has really come on lately as well, posting two-straight 100-yard performances and proving that he’s not simply just the gadget, change-of-pace player he was before coming to Chicago this season. His 27 receptions in 2018 are just nine short of his career high, which is a mark he should easily surpass within the next couple of weeks, if not sooner.
Speed has hurt the Pats this year, and Gabriel has PLENTY of it.
Also, tight end Trey Burton is an athletic piece who came over from Philly this offseason. While his 15 catches at this point are perhaps a little less than some anticipated, he’s still averaging over 13 yards per grab and can hurt you if you’re not careful. Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen form a nice thunder-and-lighting combo out of the backfield as well, with the former being more of a grinder and Cohen being the electric, do-it-all wildcard who’s totaled 295 yards (!) of offense over the last two games.
(FIRE FLAMESALERT 🔥🔥🔥: Cohen is going to go bananas in this game. Again, not only has the guy compiled almost 300 yards of offense on just 32 touches the past two games – averaging out to 9.2 yards per touch – but only four teams have given up more receiving yards to opposing running backs this season than the Pats (349). Everyone thought Howard was going to be the No. 1 guy in the offense for the Bears this year – much to the chagrin of his fantasy owners, which includes yours truly – but Cohen is looking like he might take the job from him outright.)
He might be little (5’6″, 179 pounds), but don’t let his size fool you; the kid is a baller.
Back to Trubisky. After a pretty lackluster showing through 12 games as a rookie last year – a year in which he completed just 59 percent of his passes for 2,193 yards with seven scores and seven picks – he’s made quite the leap so far in 2018. Not only is he completing a very healthy 70 percent of his tosses, but his 11-to-4 TD-to-INT ratio is also pretty solid. He also threw SIX touchdowns in Week 4 against Tampa Bay. (To be fair, I think I could probably get at least one or two against the Bucs this season, as their defense is simply atrocious. But what Trubisky did is still impressive nonetheless.) And he’s averaged over 32 yards a game on the ground this season, with 100 rushing yards over the past two games alone, so he can get it done with his legs as well.
Mitchy’s looking like he might be worth that high draft price after all.
This team is extremely balanced, and they’ve got enough on both sides of the ball to keep up with the Pats in this one.
Storylines
(Continue to Keep Brady Clean): The Pats have done a very nice job of protecting Brady so far this year, surrendering just eight sacks in total so far. Considering they’ve faced the likes of Houston, Jacksonville, and Indianapolis – all teams with 15-plus sacks already – that is extremely impressive. Add in the fact that Tommy Boy is no spring chicken and may not be quite as nimble as he once was, and it’s definitely a stat the O-lineman can hang their hats on. As mentioned above, the Bears are tied for fifth in the league with 18 QB takedowns this year, and Mack is an absolute demon to be reckoned with (although his ankle could slow him down a bit this week). Trent Brown and the rest of the boys up front should have their hands full again in this one.
(Michel and White to Face First Real Test): The Bears are the first top-10 run defense that Pats rookie Sony Michel will face this year, as he didn’t play in the team’s season-opener against the Texans, and they’ll be just the second for James White. Michel’s tough running style should allow him to at least grind out the clock if the Pats have the lead and maybe get a goal line score, but don’t expect much from White on Sunday. Not only do I expect White’s ball-carrying opportunities to be scaled back this week, but the Bears also only allow 25.6 receiving yards out of the backfield per game. The Bears also haven’t allowed even one rushing touchdown so far this season. Brady’s going to need to get it done through the air this week.
Love ya, James, but I don’t think this is gonna be your week, bud.
Prediction
Both teams get off to a slow start, with each of them only scoring around 10 points by halftime. Due to the physical, old-school nature of the game, the defense wears down a bit on each side in the second half. This will allow for a couple nice drives from the Pats and one or two big plays from the Bears (see: Gabriel, Taylor and Cohen, Tarik) later in the game. In the end, this one will be close, with the Pats eeking out a 24-20 victory.
Earlier this morning, ESPN’s Seth Wickersham tweeted out that ever since both the Rams and Chargers moved to Los Angeles before the 2016 season, the latter just hasn’t been received quite as well as the former:
A major discussion topic among NFL owners/executives at this week’s league meetings is the Chargers’ viability in LA. PSL sales have been a struggle and team is expected to revise its Inglewood revenue goals sharply to a more realistic number: $400m to around $150m, per sources
This should not come as a shock to anyone. The Chargers already had a hard enough time filling the seats when they were in San Diego, but the NFL thought it was a brilliant idea to have them move to another city only to have them compete directly with another NFL franchise for the love and adoration of the local-area fans. OH, and let’s not forget about the fact that neither team even had their own stadium to play in once they arrived.
But the cocky NFL owners went ahead with the move anyway, hoping that the nation’s second-biggest sports market would be able to support two brand-new teams at the very same time.
And again, all of this makes me so happy.
There is no bigger group of ignorant, selfish, overpaid jamokes on the planet than the collective NFL ownership horde. (Actually no, sorry, I think Congress takes the cake on that one. So maybe the NFL owners are second then.) They don’t care two licks about what the fans or players want, and they will not even blink twice before pulling the rug right out from under them, in any situation, if it means beefing up the bottom line. So, to see what looks like such an epic fail – one which is causing them to actually LOSE money – I can’t help feeling overcome with immense joy.
As far as the team goes, it’s really a shame, because they’re actually pretty good, currently sitting second in the AFC West with a 4-2 record. In fact, they were my pick to take the division this year…then Patrick Mahomes came along. Even still, the season’s not over and they’re only one game behind the Chiefs. Worst comes to worst, they should at least win one of the AFC’s wild-card spots.
Unfortunately for them, the other team that plays in town is just too good. The Rams are the last remaining undefeated team in the NFL this season, and it seems as though they’ve already captured La La Land’s heart. While guys like Philip Rivers and Melvin Gordon are killing it right now for the Chargers, Rams running back Todd Gurley seems to be the new face of the league along with his talented supporting cast in the league’s No. 1-ranked offense.
What happens next is anyone’s guess. There’s some speculation the Chargers could go back to San Diego like an ex-girlfriend who begs for forgiveness after leaving you for some douchebag that didn’t work out. Maybe they’ll be the guinea pig for the NFL’s pipe dream of having a team over in London. Or maybe they can give Vegas a go with the Raiders!
Regardless of what happens, there’s nothing better than seeing a bunch of NFL owners sitting there with egg all over their face due to their own selfish endeavors.
That, my friends, is what you call “just deserts.”
Welcome back. Let’s first address today’s dedication.
I liked Nathan Peterman coming out of school. Prototypically sized, decent-armed QB from a blue collar school like Pitt. Thought he could be a good spot starter in the NFL, maybe even mold himself into a late blooming starting QB. So far I have been drastically wrong. Not in my evaluation of his talents, no. Take a look at the TD he threw Sunday. Absolute seed. No, the problem with Peterman is he cannot get out of his own way to save his life. If he just “regular sucked”, for lack of better terminology, I think analysts and fans alike would say he has potential. Instead, he throws a stupefying number of pick 6’s. It’s almost a constant at this point. He could go 10-21/200/1 and people would say, “you know what, kid might have something.” But noooope, not Nate, he prefers the 10/21/200/2/4 pick 6’s. Like what the fuck man. JUST STOP IT.
Any way here’s the round up.
Big Z
A play in three acts.
Me with 106 points Sunday at 4.
Me with 111 points and a 17 point lead after Sunday night.
Me after the two-minute warning of the Monday night game when Aaron Rodgers and my undefeated opponent pulled ahead of me for the win.
No bad beats or bad plays this week that will have the league office questioning my competence to run a fantasy football franchise. Just a tough loss to a great team. We’re on to Week 7.
Papa Giorgi
3-0 for the first time since week 1! I’ve never felt more alive. Yeah, my real life QB Josh Allen is dead and the never ending Nathan Peterman experiment rolls on, but at least i’m on my way to making some money. Aaron Rodgers played like an angel last night and I was able to steal the W thanks to a last minute game winning kick by Mason Crosby.
Joey B
Everyone from LA to Boston said Matt Breida wasn’t going to play, so I, much like Mattes and the rest of the “Why The Fuck Did I Pick Jordan Howard” Club, tried to get cute. I took a flier on Alfred Morris for the week. Welp, Breida and some absolute NO NAME played and Morris did not get A. Single. Carry. I got beat. 3-3. I’m not having fun anymore.
Red
So after ripping on Eli Manning all week long for never really being an elite quarterback outside of two hot streaks in years that shant be named, I went against all of my better judgement and started him in fantasy anyways. I was in a bind as my QB was on a bye so it was either Eli, Bortles or Danold. Welp, Eli promptly shit the bed, didn’t throw a touchdown and finished with 11 points. And I STILL WON, mainly because the other guy started the other bum on the waiver wire in Bortles.
Mattes
So, I started Amari Cooper again… I’m now 1-5. I also invested a lot in guys like Jordan Howard, Carlos Hyde, and Keelan Cole. It’s just not working out this year, but at least I traded Antonio Brown for an extra second-round pick next year. This year’s squad is absolute hot garbage, though.
Fortunately, I’m 4-2 in my other league after my opponent started TWO guys who were announced as inactives just before game time. That’s why you always gotta pay attention right up to kickoff, folks. I’ll take the gift, though, and I got both Ingram and Thomas coming back from a bye this week. (Also, how about Sony Michel??!! Kid’s a beasttttt.)
The Patriots remain in a first-place tie with the Miami Dolphins atop the AFC East after beating the Kansas City Chiefs in an intense battle on Sunday night. What a helluva a game it was, too. It truly was a blast from start to finish.
While I may have been off by 10 points on each side, I still pretty much nailed the game script in my preview last week – I said the Pats would win 33-30 on a late field goal; the Pats won 43-40 on a last-second field goal – and nobody should’ve been shocked by the sheer show of offensive force by either side last night.
As Belichick always says, the game wasn’t perfect and there are still some things to work on, but overall I think Pats Nation can feel pretty good about the team’s Week 6 victory. Here are a few other quick takeaways from the game to check out before you get your week started.
Josh Gordon Officially Unleashed
Looking purely at his stat line – five receptions for 42 yards and no scores – you might think using the term “unleashed” is a bit over the top. But when you consider the fact that he led the team with nine targets and played on 81 percent of the team’s snaps, I think it’s safe to say the training wheels have definitely been removed. (As relayed by Fantasy Pros, he also led the team in routes run [35], target share [26%], and air yards share [29%]. The guy could actually be on the verge of EXPLODING.) For someone who many assumed to be a bit volatile between the ears, there should be no doubt about his football I.Q., as he has learned the playbook very quickly and has been receiving quite the praise from teammates and coaches alike. While he’ll continue to have a lot of competition for targets all season long, he’s obviously going to be a big part of this offense moving forward and has pacified any and all fears of him “not fitting in.” This move could turn out to be an absolute steal by the Pats. #FlashGordon
Sony Michel Continues to Impress
The rookie kept on rolling last night, rushing for over 100 yards for the second time in the past three games – in the other game he finished just short of the century mark, with 98 yards – and he is now averaging a healthy 4.4 yards per carry on the season. He was also able to punch the ball in twice on the goal line and picked up some very tough ground in other short-yardage situations, including a big conversion on 3rd-and-1 with just under two minutes to go in the game. In fact, both Brady and Belichick mentioned Michel’s short-yardage prowess in their post-game pressers, with both also alluding to the fact that the team’s previous struggles in this area were a big reason why they lost to Kansas City in last year’s season-opener. Michel, while not nearly as big, is the team’s best power back since LeGarrette Blount, and he runs with a beautiful combination of violence and agility. As long as those balky knees hold up, we might have a freakin’ stud in this kid.
I See You, Pass-Rush
A week ago, I wrote a piece sounding the alarm on the Patriots pass-rush, basically saying there wasn’t one and that we should maybe start worrying about the boys up front on D. However, even though the team finished with no sacks and just three QB hits on Sunday night, much of that had to do with Patrick Mahomes’s mobility and elusiveness, and it was hard not to notice the improved pressure the team was creating. Adrian Clayborn particularly looked great, bull-rushing his way into the backfield on what seemed like every play, especially early on. Trey Flowers had a solid game as well, finishing with a QB hit and seven total tackles, including one for a loss. Besides a few big plays – and I mean BIG plays in which the Chiefs gained a lot of yards – I thought the defense was actually a positive overall last night (yes, even after allowing 40 points).
So, again, there’s certainly a lot to be happy about from Sunday night, and the Pats proved that they’re at least still one of the AFC’s top contenders, if not the entire NFL. Next up is a matchup with the 3-2 Chicago Bears next Sunday at Soldier Field, and as always be sure to check back in with The 300s on Thursday for the game preview.
When I was in Buffalo last week I half kidding, but half seriously complained to the surrounding Bills fans about how many night games the Patriots are forced to play only to be met by mocking groans.
Yes, only the best of the best consistently play primetime games, but I am also completely and utterly washed so staying up until midnight on a Sunday night is a feat of strength in itself.
If not for pure and unadulterated content like this I never would have made it:
The Red Sox won Game 2 of the ALCS and David Price did not completely implode last night, which was moderately encouraging to see. He did not however pitch all that well and left the game in the 4th inning so he technically was not eligible for his first postseason win. Leaving the game after 4 2/3 IP having given up 4 runs with 2 men on, Price was greeted to a standing ovation by the Fenway faithful. I’m sorry, but the people have gone soft. After Price gave up a 2-run HR moonshot to Marwin Gonzalez in the 3rd inning I honestly just felt bad for the guy. He wasn’t pitching well, he keeps stumbling in the playoffs, and just looks like he wants to go home. So it is with no malice in my heart when I say this, but a standing ovation for 4.2 IP and 4 earned runs? Ridiculous.
Now the real shame of last night was while the Red Sox were slugging it out for American League supremacy, the Patriots were playing one of the most hyped games of the season against the electric Kansas City Chiefs and I was physically unable to watch both. I was far too lazy to drag out a second TV and reorganize all the cable boxes for 3 hours of entertainment. That would have meant having to rearrange everything afterwards. Pass.
So I was just flipping back and forth and was able to watch the last 3 minutes of the Pats game as they showed why they are the modern day dynasty with a crazy last second comeback. However, I woke up this morning with an excruciating pang of FOMO. Patriots 43 Chiefs 40 with a game winning field goal as time expired. And I watched about 10 minutes of the entire thing. Now I have to try and track down one of those 2 hour reruns of the game on NFL Network or something so I can feel whole again.
Two straight wins have vaulted the Pats right back up to the top of the AFC East heading into Week 6. Go ahead and smile, Pats Nation. It’s OK. But don’t get too cocky, as the SCORCHING-HOT, undefeated Kansas City Chiefs are coming to town this weekend for a Sunday night showdown.
As always, here’s a quick look at where, when, and how to watch the game along with the latest lines:
Just by looking at the numbers, you can see that this one is expected to be a barn burner and an absolute shoot-out. In fact, the current 59.5-point total is slated to be the second-highest over/under for any game within the last 15 years (just behind the 60-point total which closed for a game between the Chiefs and Raiders in 2003). Points are going to be scored in this one. Get ready for some major offensive firepower – on both sides.
The Chiefs currently have the league’s fourth-ranked offense and are averaging 35 points per game, which is the second-highest mark in the league behind the New Orleans Saints. The team is being led by MVP-candidate Patrick Mahomes, a second-year quarterback who was given the keys to the car this year and has rewarded Kansas City for that move with a league-leading 16 total touchdowns so far.
Here’s Mahomes – probably getting ready to embarrass some poor defensive back in front of thousands of people.
It’s worth noting that he’s only got a five-game track record – six, if you want to include the one game he started as a rookie last year – and young signal-callers usually end up defecating all over themselves their first time playing in Foxborough. But this kid has been absolutely electric this year, and while Belichick probably has a few tricks up his sleeve to slow Mahomes down, the Pats defense just doesn’t have the talent needed to shut down a player of his caliber completely.
Mahomes’s historic season has certainly been aided by the plethora of offensive weapons at his disposal. Seriously, this offense is LOADED. Tyreek Hill is one of the league’s most explosive talents at wide receiver. Travis Kelce is the easily best tight end behind Gronk. Former first-rounder Sammy Watkins is a solid, albeit inconsistent, No. 3 option in the passing game. And Kareem Hunt – last season’s league-leading rusher – is off to another great start with 376 yards on the ground so far, good for fourth in the league. (Oddly, though, for a guy who had over 50 catches last year, Hunt is not getting the ball thrown his way anymore and has just five receptions in 2018. Mahomes has pretty much been getting it done with his wide receivers and tight ends all year.)
Hunt (27), Hill (10), and Kelce (87) are one nasty trio.
Fortunately, the Chiefs’ defense is ranked dead-last in the NFL, and they have given up by far the most passing yards in the league. Therefore, Brady & Co. should have no trouble keeping up on the scoreboard. And while our defense doesn’t come without it’s own issues (gee, have I mentioned that before?), I have much more confidence in the Pats’ ability to stem the tide than I do the Chiefs.
Also, after coming out EN FUEGO the first few weeks, Mahomes is actually starting to come back down to earth. Over the past two weeks, he’s only thrown for one score while tossing two picks; the yards have still have still been there, though, and the team hasn’t lost, so he’s still moving the ball. However, maybe he’s not completely impossible to stop after all.
Storylines
(Can Jason McCourty Solidify His Spot in the Secondary?): After going from exciting new offseason addition to potential final-roster cut candidate and starting the season buried on the depth chart, Jason McCourty has played outstanding the past couple of weeks and seems to be quite rejuvenated. He’s truly been one of the team’s very best defenders and was all over the Colts receivers last Thursday night. Eric Rowe, who started the season as the team’s No. 2 corner, is now probably unlikely to reclaim his starting spot when he returns from injury. That is, of course, unless McCourty gets torched by Mahomes and his minions this week. This is a huge game for Jason McCourty, and I’ll be watching him very closely on Sunday night.
You’ve been playing great lately, Jason. Don’t blow it.
(Will Chris Hogan Finally Wake Up?): There is no doubt that Hogan has been one of the team’s biggest disappointments this season. With Julian Edelman out for the first four weeks of the season and a dearth of other receiving options on the team, many expected Hogan to serve as a bona fide No. 1 wide-out for as long as needed. Except for a lucky two-touchdown game in Week 2 against the Jags, Hogan has yet to surpass 34 yards in a game this season. There’s also two games this year where he’s hauled in just one pass. To be fair, he hasn’t been getting many targets, but that probably has to do with him being unable to get any separation. I believe Hogan is much better served as a No. 2 or 3 option in an offense, and Edelman’s return should actually open more things up for him. But if he can’t get it going against Kansas City’s horrendous pass-coverage, YIKES.
EARTH TO CHRIS HOGAN! Where ya been, bud?
(Two of the Best Minds in the Game Go Head-to-Head): I’m pretty sure by now everyone’s heard of that guy Bill Belichick and how great of a coach he is. And even the most casual of NFL fans should know about Andy Reid, now in his sixth year as head coach of the Chiefs after spending 13 years as the leading man in Philadelphia. Both men have a pretty extensive track record of success, but I’m unsure if people realize just how much of an offensive visionary Reid is. Not only are his offenses always near the top of the league each season, but he was the one who decided to go all in and draft Mahomes last season, even when most others throughout the franchise were fine sticking with Alex Smith. The guy is an offensive visionary, and this will be a fun chess match to watch between two of the game’s best and brightest.
Prediction
As I said, this one is going to be a whirlwind, with tons of yards and points galore. I do think the Pats will tame Mahomes much more than people expect, but don’t forget about Kareem Hunt and the running game; this is not a one-dimensional offense. This one could be a real boxing match, with both teams trading blows all night long. In the end, I think the Pats benefit from some home cooking and eek out a win, 33-30, with a late Stephen Gostkowski field goal.
OK, I bet nobody was expecting to come across an article on Dwayne Allen today – or anytime soon, for that matter. But upon conducting a little mid-week research, I stumbled across something truly disturbing that I just could not let slip by.
Are you ready for this one: Dwayne Allen is the SEVENTH-highest paid player on the Patriots in terms of base salary for 2018.
I’ll let you all chew on that one for a minute…
I promise you didn’t read that incorrectly; Allen truly is one of the highest-paid players on the team, as he will collect $3.8 million, which includes his $500,000 roster bonus, by season’s end.
Now, let me start by saying that I hate coming in so hot against one of our own. Allen seems like a fine fellow, and he was actually a pretty solid weapon for a few years out in Indianapolis, serving as one of Andrew Luck’s most trusted targets. But, Dwayne, ever since we traded for you before the 2017 season, as my boy Patches O’Houlihan would say, you’ve shown that:
After giving up a fourth-round pick – which, by NFL standards, isn’t chump change – to acquire him, Allen has been targeted a total of 24 times over the past two seasons, catching all of 11 balls for 82 yards and one score. And if you look only at his 2018 numbers, he’s caught one pass for -4 yards. HE LITERALLY HASN’T GAINED EVEN ONE POSITIVE YARD OF OFFENSE THIS SEASON.
BUT, MATTES, he’s SUCH a good blocker! You’re dumb! You don’t know anything! It’s not only about catching the football if you’re a tight end.
Just stop with that garbage. Please. While Allen has shown an ability to be useful on the line, it’s not like he’s anything special. Pro Football Focus has graded both his run- and pass-blocking so far this year as “Good.”
Not “High Quality” or “Elite.” Just…”Good.” Is that really worth $4 million considering he’s pretty much invisible otherwise?
Some may be wondering why I care so much. It’s not like it’s my money, and $3.8 million is pennies compared to what some other tight ends are making throughout the league. But when you consider some of the other holes this team had heading into the season, his salary is just inexcusable.
Take Danny Amendola, for example. After being nothing but the ultimate team player – taking pay cut after pay cut to stick around and serve as one of the team’s most vital offensive pieces for the past five seasons – he chose to leave this summer when the Dolphins offered him more than the Pats were willing to. How much, you ask? Six million per year over the next two seasons, a whole $2 million more than Allen’s making at the current time. That is absolutely shameful, and even with Edelman back there’s still no doubt the team could use Danny Boy in the worst way right now, especially in the event of the next inevitable injury.
(Some will say it had to with other things besides just money with Amendola, and maybe a simple change of scenery was best for both sides. Still, it just further illustrates how incredibly overpaid Allen is at the moment.)
You got hosed, Danny. Plain and simple.
When you also consider the fact that most backup offensive lineman – which is basically all Allen is at this point, even though he’s still listed as a “tight end” – are lucky to even make half of what Allen’s earning in 2018, the whole situation is just baffling.
In the grand scheme of things, does it really matter? Yes and no. Apparently, the team still has about $5 million at their disposal at the moment, and it’s not like an additional $4 million would make much of a difference in terms of this season’s roster. But maybe it’s just that after years of being force-fed the importance of penny-pinching and watching plenty of deserving Patriots players get short-changed when it was their time to cash in, it’s infuriating to see a guy like Allen getting WAY more than he deserves – for literally no apparent reason.
So next time someone brings up Belichick’s impeccable roster-management acumen and commitment to not overpaying for anyone, I give you Dwayne Lamont Allen. I rest my case.
*All salary and contract information courtesy of Spotrac.com.
Everyone throughout Patriots Nation is flying pretty high right now after two back-to-back wins – wins in which the Pats outscored their respective opponents, the Dolphins and Colts, by a combined 45 points.
Brady’s also been on point over that time, with two straight 94-plus QB ratings and seven total touchdowns. Also, Sony Michel is looking pretty solid carrying the rock; Josh Gordon seems to be on track toward being a big factor in the offense; and Julian Edelman is finally back as the team’s top target. And above all, after a 1-2 start the Pats are right back on top of the AFC East, tied with Miami for first place after five weeks of action.
Sure, I’m feeling pretty good right about now. How could you not after what we’ve seen the past two weeks?
Still, though, there is one glaring issue with the team – an issue that is certainly not new – which could rear its ugly head sooner rather than later. I’m talking, of course, about the team’s anemic pass-rush.
Our faithful 300s readers know that I’ve had the team’s pass-rush ear-marked as an area of concern since the offseason. Besides being ranked as Pro Football Focus’ sixth-worst unit heading into 2018, the team was coming off of a heartbreaking Super Bowl loss that saw Nick Foles pass for over 370 yards and three scores – mostly because he wasn’t sacked ONCE and was touched a measly five times otherwise. It was truly one of the most pathetic performances I’ve ever seen from a defensive front, and big changes were needed in the offseason.
Belichick & Co. seemed to agree after signing former Falcon Adrian Clayborn pretty much right away in free agency, and with young guys like Derek Rivers and Keionta Davis also expected to return from injury, there was a glimmer of hope. Then, after the group’s excellent showing against the Eagles in the second preseason game this summer, I was actually pretty bullish on the pass-rushing corps. I even pumped their tires pretty hard following that victory as part of our “The 300s Previews the Patriots” series.
But through five games so far this season:
Clayborn has zero sacks and a total of two tackles.
Davis played in each of the first three games, registering three tackles. However, he hasn’t seen the field once since Week 3 against Detroit.
Rivers played in Week 3 against Detroit, but has been dealing with “an undisclosed injury” which hasn’t allowed him to play at all outside of that one appearance.
Well so much for that “hope!”
As I pointed out in our Pats/Colts game preview last week, heading into Thursday night there were only four players who had been able to muster up even just one sack through this season’s first four games: Trey Flowers, Deatrich Wise, Adam Butler, and John Simon, the last of whom has been on the team for a total of one-and-a-half weeks.
Guy’s been here for less than two weeks and he’s already one of our top players up front. YEESH.
Against the Colts, Patrick Chung was able to get in on the action with a half-sack, with the other half being credited to Flowers. So, through five games now, only five Patriots have been able to get to the quarterback a total of seven times. (Also, ZERO sacks have come from anyone in the linebacking corps. Yikes.)
To be fair, pass-rushing is about much more than just sacks. Still, even in terms of QB hits, the team is averaging just 4.6 a contest, so they’re barely even throwing opposing signal-callers off their game. Taking away the Dolphins game – which was probably more about Ryan Tannehill’s ineptitude in Foxborough than anything else – the Patriots are giving up a bottom-five-worthy 294 passing yards a game.
One must also understand that different teams employ different schemes, and not everyone blitzes or sends pressure at the same rate. In 2017, only four teams blitzed less frequently than the Patriots, so it’s not like Belichick and Brian Flores are encouraging anyone to pin their ears back and get after it.
Come on, Bri Guy, let the boys loose!
In order for that type of philosophy to work, though, you need to have an elite secondary. While Gilmore is a fine No. 1 corner, Eric Rowe has been in out of the lineup the past few weeks due to injury, the McCourtys aren’t spring chickens, and after that it’s pretty much just Chung, Harmon, and a bunch of rookies still trying to climb their way up the depth chart.
While guys like Blake Bortles, Matthew Stafford, and Andrew Luck can chuck it pretty well, up next comes Kansas City phenom and 2018 MVP candidate Patrick Mahomes in Week 5, followed up by matchups against the likes of Aaron Rodgers, Kirk Cousins, and Ben Roethlisberger in the coming months.
Mahomes could be getting ready to commit a Sunday Night Massacre against the Pats D this week.
Fortunately, the Patriots play in a division which features two teams with rookie quarterbacks – and another who plays like one from time to time. And even more fortunate is the fact that the Pats still have five games left to play against said squads in 2018.
But when the competition stiffens and the game’s elite throwers are on the other side of the field, things could get ugly. Only time will tell, but we’ll get our first glimpse at the team’s true colors this Sunday night in a prime time matchup against the Chiefs’ No. 3-ranked offense.
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